


What You Were Signing Up For

by Flatlander



Category: Highlander - All Media Types, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen, Non Canonical Immortal, Stargate Command, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-03-04
Updated: 2002-03-04
Packaged: 2018-12-18 05:57:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11868120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flatlander/pseuds/Flatlander
Summary: While on a mission to the planet of P7X-561, Daniel once again activates an alien device. Only this time, it kills him for real. He just doesn't stay dead.





	What You Were Signing Up For

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Daire's Fanfic Refuge](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Daire%27s_Fanfic_Refuge). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Daire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/dairesfanficrefuge/profile).
> 
> What You Were Signing Up For by DanielleD
> 
> *****
> 
> Disclaimer: Highlander belongs to Rysher Entertainment, Gaumont Television, and Davis/Panzer Productions. Stargate belongs to Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Products. No copyright infringements were intended. This story uses characters and situations from those shows for entertainment and not for profit.
> 
> Spoilers and Timing: It's set sometime in late fourth season. Spoilers are for "Fire and Water," "Family," and "The Crystal Skull." 
> 
> My character, Kneph Khons, is the combination of two Egyptian gods. 
> 
> **Kneph:** He was the god of animal and spiritual life. In mythology, he is portrayed with the head and horns of a ram. 
> 
> **Khonsu or Khons:** He was the son of Amon (Amon-Re, Re, Ra) and of Mut (also known as Isis). He was an important Egyptian God during the Theban dynasties. His symbol was the falcon.
> 
> Information on Egyptian Gods/Goddesses were taken without permission from Egyptian Mythological Characters and from my Western Civilization I class at school. The definitions listed above were re-worded to avoid plagiarism.
> 
> * * *

PART ONE 

Daniel Jackson hastily recorded the alien writing inscribed into the outside wall. If the image on the camera lens was too blurry, he took out his notebook and copied the characters onto lined paper. He was alone. In front of him was a wall of a temple that desperately needed restoring. Half of the other three walls of the temple had crumbled away hundreds of years ago. The wall that had the writing on it was the only one that was 90% intact. 

Daniel thought it was strange that any culture would bother writing anything on the outside part; before then, he'd always seen the writing on the inside of temples or other important buildings. It made sense to do it that way; the text would be protected from the elements. 

He took a break to look around. The temple ruins were located in the same clearing as the Stargate, which stood on a pedestial several yards away on the other side of the temple. The grass in the meadow was overgrown and came up to his thighs. The surrounding forest was filled with straight, narrow, blue-brown trees that were slightly shorter than the Stargate. Teal'c, Colonel Jack O'Neill, and Major Samantha Carter had fanned out to search the forest for any more signs of civilization, leaving Daniel to his translation. 

Daniel turned so he was facing away from the temple. Only a few feet away on his right and left were two short columns that Daniel presumed had once held statues representing whatever God had been worshipped at this temple. Both pedestals were barren now. Several feet in front of him was an altar. Gutters lined all four sides of the altar's stone top, presumable to collect blood from sacrifices. Coming across the sacrificial altar was also a rarity; SG-1 never had before, although Daniel knew other teams did occasionally. 

He checked his watch. He had fifteen more minutes before Jack would come back here and tell him it was time to head back to Earth. Daniel finished recording the script on the wall in only six of those minutes. When he was done, he put the camera, film, and his notebook and pen back in his pack and took out his water bottle. While he took a drink of water, he took a step forward. 

His foot got caught on a tree root. Daniel promptly lost his balance. As he fell down, he let go of his water bottle and the contents splashed all over his fatigues. Daniel ignore the cold feel of the water as he reached for one of the columns to steady him. 

He fell against the top of the column on his right. His weight pushed against it, and apparently it wasn't meant to hold something as heavy as him, because it started to topple over. "Oh, shit!" Daniel said out loud when he felt the column begin to slant. 

The column stopped moving before it fell on its side on the ground. Daniel scrambled back onto his feet as quickly as possible and stared at the column. He noticed that it now stood at an angle. He tried to move it, but it seemed to be lodged in place in the ground. 

Sighing, Daniel checked that his glassed were still in one piece before taking out a handkerchief and trying to wipe up as much water as he could. He shook his head as he thought about what just happened. He'd tripped over a tree root. He really should learn to look down before he took a step anywhere. At least Jack wasn't here to make some smart-ass comment about it, although he would be here very soon. 

Daniel heard the sound of stone rolling across dirt. It came from behind him. Daniel turned around and watched as the other column slid sideways into the ground of its own accord. It didn't stop into until it made around a fifty-degree angle with the ground, mimicking the present position of the right column. 

_Oh no, not again,_ Daniel thought, groaning. Once again, he'd managed to set off a booby trap made by an advanced civilization. _Why does this always happen to me?_ He wondered idly as he looked at the surrounding ruins wearily. 

He decided that getting out of there would be the wisest thing to do. Daniel grabbed his pack and walked toward the space between the right column and the altar, intending to head into the forest and meet up in Jack on his way back. He ran right into an orange force field. It lit up when he collided with it, effectively keeping him from walking past it. 

Feeling himself start to panic and feel uneasy, Daniel turned and headed in the other direction, in between the altar and the left column. Another force field stopped him. He tried walking past the two columns and back to the wall of the temple, but a force field was over there, too. 

He tapped the talk button on his walkie-talkie. "Guys, I need some help! Some force fields shot out of nowhere in the ruins and have surrounded me." 

Jack's voice rang out through the device, "We're on our way, Daniel. Hold on." 

The ground began to shake. _What the hell?_ "Guys, hurry!" 

A huge, stone wall slid up through the ground right in front of the altar. The wall kept rising until it was at least five feet tall before it hit a force field covering the top of his cell. Daniel watched it in horror as hundreds of tiny round compartments opened in the wall. A second later, tiny arrows or darts shot out of the holes and sailed toward him. 

There was nothing he could do to stop them. Only a few seconds later, many of the arrows impacted with his flesh. 

The pain made him cried out. The darts pushed him back against the force field behind him, making pain enter his back as well at the contact. He collapsed to the ground. He could feel some sort of poison from the darts enter his flesh and blood stream. The injections, filled with pockets of air, were painful, making him scream even more. 

He didn't even notice the wall slide back into the earth or the shields deactivate, and he didn't see the columns sliding back into upright positions a few seconds after that. 

When Teal'c, Jack, and Sam reached the temple site from three different directions, the first thing they noticed was Daniel's limp form lying on his back on the ground. 

"Shit!" Jack said as they raced toward the archeologist. 

Sam and Teal'c reached him before he did. They all crouched down near their unconscious friend. Sam gasped in horror when she saw all of the darts sticking out of Daniel's flesh. Teal'c stood up and looked around for the source of the darts, swearing to hurt whoever was responsible for harming one of his closest friends. He saw no one. 

"Carter? How is he?" Jack asked as the major checked for a pulse. 

"He's still there, sir, but barely. We need to get him back to the base now," Sam said, fearing the worst. _You'd better not die on us, Daniel_ , she thought. She'd almost lost him too many times already. She didn't want this time to be the real thing. 

"Then let's go," Jack said, standing up. "Teal'c..." 

Before he could finish the sentence, Teal'c handed Jack his staff weapon and picked up the unconscious archeologist. Sam grabbed Daniel's pack, and they all started at a run for the Gate. 

***** 

SG-1 actually came home on time this time. But that, of course, wasn't a good thing. General Hammond watched, worried, as Teal'c came through the gate carrying an unconscious Dr. Jackson who was covered in what must have been over a hundred darts. The Jaffa immediately called for assistance from a medical team while Jack and Sam stepped through the wormhole. 

When Janet hurried in and saw Daniel in his condition, General Hammond was sure that she was going to be too shocked to do anything else. This was, by far, the worst injury any member of SG-1 had come back to the SGC with. Then the medical doctor pulled herself together and started laying down orders to her medical staff. 

Hammond hurried down the steps and into the hallway. He watched as Jack, Teal'c, and Sam trailed behind Dr. Frasier and her nurses, who were carting Daniel on a gurney. Hammond followed them, his mind filling with questions about Dr. Jackson's welfare and how this particular incident occurred. 

***** 

Jack paced back and forth in front of the infirmary door. He wanted so desperately to go inside and see how Daniel was doing, but at the same time he didn't want to distract Janet and her team while they tried to save him. _No, not tried,_ he reminded himself. _She will. She's done it before, she'll do it again._

It was hard to convince himself of that, however, especially since he, Sam, and Teal'c had been waiting for what seemed like forever. He knew it was less than an hour, but it didn't feel like it, especially with the way his heart was pounding with fear and near panic. He, Sam, and Teal'c all knew there was no way anyone could survive being hit by hundreds of darts, no matter if they were poisoned or not. He didn't want to believe what his instincts were telling him, but he couldn't seem to shake off his doubt and hope. 

He glanced at the other two members of his team. Teal'c was standing only a few feet away from him. The Jaffa had been sitting down initially, but he'd apparently become too worried to stay seated. Carter, however, seemed to not be capable of standing; instead, her hands twisted and twinned rapidly in her lap while she sat upright in one of the hallway's uncomfortable chairs. A look of absolute fear and hope had been plastered on her face for the last half-hour. Jack was pretty sure he had the same appearance. 

They weren't the only ones in the corridor; about a handful of staff that had come to know Daniel over the years were milling about in the hallway, talking in hushed tones. They came and went; even the general, although Jack suspected Hammond had gone to his office to wait for news of Dr. Jackson's recurring health. 

That was it. Jack turned to the door. He had to know how Daniel was doing. "I can't take it anymore. Anyone coming with me?" 

Without saying a word, Carter and Teal'c took absolutely no time at all to walk over and stand behind him. When they were there, Jack turned back to the door and reached for the handle. 

His hand paused right before touching it. What if he came in at the wrong time and distracted the doc when he shouldn't have? No, he couldn't wait any longer. He was determined to see Daniel survive this; he was going to watch Frasier bring him back to full health instead of waiting out here, not sure what was happening outside. 

Before he could stop himself, Jack turned the knob, pushed open the door, and rushed inside. Teal'c and Carter followed him. 

He almost ran into Janet, who apparently was about to open the door and step out into the hall. For an instant, his hope overrode his doubts; Daniel was alive. He would be all right. In a few weeks or less, he'd be able to re-join SG-1, and they'd be able to forget about this mess. 

He met her gaze, and his hope fell. Tears were in her eyes, and an intense sorrow filled her features, leaving no room for even the slightest hope. 

"Dr. Frasier, what is Daniel Jackson's condition?" Teal'c asked behind him. Jack couldn't see his face, but he could tell that Teal'c's usually calm voice was near breaking completely. He'd seen Frasier's look, too. 

She shook her head. "There were too many darts. Some of them pierced his major arteries, and they emitted a fatal poison I've never seen before into his bloodstream." The tears the doctor had tried to keep at bay came spilling slowly down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry. There was nothing I could do." 

"Oh, God, no," Carter wailed behind him. "No." 

Jack barely registered it as he felt his legs give way under him in shock. He slid to the ground, his entire mind feeling like it was closed off from the world. 

Daniel Jackson, his best friend, was dead. 

* * *

PART TWO 

Part of his brain was trying to tell him to go home. That was the part of his brain that was responding to General Hammond's order to do just that. Unfortunately, that little part of his brain was unable to make his body head anywhere near the parking lot. Instead, he ended up here, in Daniel's office. Or in what used to be Daniel's office. Now it belonged to the SGC's second best archeologist, Doctor Captain Sean Lindsay. The Captain had already gone home hours ago, however, so the office was empty. 

It didn't feel right at all. Jack didn't know how many times he'd come in here late at nights to see Daniel hard at work on some rock or piece of pottery. Jack had never understood it and had time after time tried to get the doctor to at least eat regularly. 

He cringed. _Don't think about that,_ Jack pleaded with his mind, which was another part of his anatomy that refused to follow orders that week. It probably didn't help that he was sitting in _the_ office. 

As if suddenly chilled to the bone for being there, Jack rushed out of the chair - the same one he'd always sat in when he'd come to visit Daniel - and ran as fast as he could in the cramped quarters for the door. 

It opened before he could reach it. He came to a dead stop in front of it and waited. Carter entered, shocked to find him there. 

"Carter? What're you doing here so late?" Jack asked. She didn't look so good. Jack suddenly felt guilty that he'd neglected to think about her and Teal'c since Dan...since the accident. He should have paid attention from the looks of it. Sam's normally formal appearance appeared to be anything but at the moment. Her eyes were sunken in, as if she hadn't slept or eaten much in days, and her hair looked matted as if she'd skipped brushing it that morning. Jack wondered how Teal'c was doing; the Jaffa had gone to see his family in the Land of the Light, and would return for Daniel's funeral next week. He hoped Drey'ac was helping him get through it. 

Jack thought about his own appearance. He probably looked as bad as the Major. Looking back, he couldn't remember eating or sleeping much in the last forty-eight hours, and he was pretty sure he had stubble on his chin; he wasn't certain because he hadn't looked in a mirror. 

"Colonel," Carter said, surprised. She blinked. "I was looking for you." 

She was looking for him, but she was surprised to find him? From the looks of it, Jack doubted she knew that her actions had contradicted themselves. "And?" 

"The funeral home called," she explained after a moment. "They wanted to discuss...funeral and burial arrangements. I told them we would go over. Would you care to come with me, sir?" 

The funeral home. Right. The place that would direct _the_ funeral and _the_ burial. This was so odd. Didn't they hold a burial service for Daniel before now? Only this time, it wouldn't be excluded to SGC personnel; this time, Daniel's few friends outside of the base would also be attending. And this time, Daniel wasn't coming back. 

Jack shook himself out of those disturbing thoughts. "Sure. Let's go." 

He couldn't seem to muster up his usual cheer. Carter didn't seem to notice. She just nodded, turned, and walked down the hall. With one last look around the office, Jack followed her. 

***** 

All he could feel was peace and calm. He'd never experienced anything like it. He'd never been able to before, although he couldn't remember why. It felt so good to finally feel this way that he hoped it would go on forever. 

But it didn't. Pain shot through his eyes, making bright dots flash in front of his eyelids. _No,_ he silently begged as he felt panic overtake that peace that he desired so much. _Please. I don't want to go. Don't make me leave._

Pain shot through his entire body, making his body jerk upright and his eyes open wide. His mouth opened wide and he took in a deep, life giving breath. Gravity pulled his body back to whatever he was lying on, and pain filled his body from head to toe. His teeth clattered together forcefully from the pain, years of being tortured by enemies making him unconsciously keep from screaming out his suffering. The pain came from tiny wholes like pricks all along the front part of his body. He could feel them mending rapidly, and somehow that hurt most of all. 

Finally, the pain disappeared and all the wholes were sealed. His memory slowly returned to him as he closed his eyes against the glare of the overhead lights, and he began breathing rapidly, trying to bring oxygen back into his deprived body as fast as he could. 

_What the hell happened? Where am I?_ Daniel wondered as he recalled recent events. Going to P7X-561...finding the temple ruins...pressing the wrong buttons...ending up with so many darts pressing through his skin... 

Daniel opened his eyes and met the fluorescent glare of the ceiling lights. He looked around him, expecting to find himself in the infirmary, and not for the first time. 

His eyes landed on the next bed over...no, it wasn't a bed. He looked closer. It was a metal table. A human form lay under it, covered from head to toe by a white sheet. 

Shocked by the image, Daniel sprang up in his bed...no, this was a table also. Daniel stared down, disbelieving, at another white sheet that was covering the lower half of his body. 

He grabbed the sheet, got off the bed, and wrapped it around his bottom half. He looked around, his alarm increasing as he took in all of the other unmoving bodies concealed by identical sheets, all lying on tables in two rows from one end of the room to the other. 

_Oh my God,_ Daniel thought. His brain was making sense of where he was, and he didn't like the answer very much. He was pretty sure he was in a morgue, although why he'd be there was beyond him. He looked at the table he'd just abandoned, his panic rising. He wasn't dead, was he? Oh, shit. 

He needed to get out of there. Daniel walked as fast as the sheet would allow to the door. Seeing no one in the outside corridor, he slipped out of the room and went searching for some clothes. 

***** 

Jack couldn't take it anymore. Excusing himself from the funeral home manager and Carter, claiming he had to use the bathroom, Jack wondered down the halls, looking for somewhere private. He didn't dare look for it inside a random door; he didn't want to know what was behind any of them. 

God, this was too hard. He didn't want to bury his friend a second time. The first time was enough. 

He finally found an empty corridor. He leaned against the nearest wall and burried his face in his hands. Damn it, Jackson! Why did you always have to get in danger all the time? Why couldn't you just take prudence before doing whatever it was you did for once in your life? Damn it! He shouldn't have left him at the ruins; sure, the place had seemed harmless enough, but he should have listened to that inner voice that said leaving Daniel anywhere alone would be a big mistake. 

What the hell was SG-1 going to do now? No one could ever replace Daniel, but there was no way the general would ever allow them to go anywhere with only three people on their team. Would there even be a SG-1 anymore? Would any of them be able to work as well without their favorite archeologist? 

Jack heard a door open down the hall and he straightened up, composing his appearance as best as he could. Then he turned to see who it was, and his mouth opened in shock. 

The figure had cropped sandy hair and fair skin. He was looking the other direction as if checking to see if the coast was clear, and he was wearing what appeared to be a doctor's gown. 

His head moved in Jack's direction. Jack waited, his hope returning, even though he knew it was impossible... 

"Jack?" the figure asked, surprised. Jack couldn't believe it. His hopes and prayers had been answered. 

It was _him_. 

It was Daniel Jackson, alive and well. 

***** 

Jack was giving Daniel his impression of a fish, which wasn't good as far as the archeologist was concerned. From the look Jack was giving him, Daniel was sure that the colonel thought he was dead. Daniel wasn't even sure of that himself. At least Jack could see him; that over ruled his Ghost Theory or something similar to that time when the Giant Aliens on P7X-377 sent him to another plane of existence. That experience had creeped him out. For several days before he found a way to reverse it, Daniel hadn't felt tired or hungry. He also couldn't touch anything, and nobody could hear or see him. He was glad that hadn't happened again. 

Jack stared at him for another minute before breaking into a sprint. A split-second later, he caught Daniel in a rib-cracking hug. 

"You're alive!" Jack cried, excitement filling his tone. He let go of Daniel but grabbed his arm, as if trying to ensure himself that what he saw was real. "Oh my God, you're alive." 

"What else?" Daniel tried to joke. 

"Damn it, Jackson!" Jack said. "Never do anything like that to us again!" 

Daniel was so confused. "Jack, what's going on? Are we in some sort of morgue?" 

Jack's expression was one of pure wonder and relief. "I don't know, Daniel. But we need to get Carter and then get back to the base. A lot of people are going to be happy to see you, Danny." 

***** 

Teal'c stepped out the wormhole. His booted feet hit the ramp at the base of the Stargate and he looked around. The guards stationed at the end of the ramp stood down almost immediately when they realized it was him. The Jaffa ignored them and ran down the ramp and out the room. The message he'd received from Major Carter had been brief, but it had been enough to make him depart from the Land of the Light immediately. 

He ran directly to the infirmary. He wanted to see with his own eyes what the message had said. 

When he got inside, he looked around. His eyes almost immediately fell on one of the beds crowded by a small group of people. Daniel Jackson sat on the bed, and the crowd was made up of O'Neill, Major Carter, General Hammond, and Dr. Frasier. 

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, and a large smile broke out on his face. He walked up to the archeologist and gave him a hug. "It is good to see you alive." 

He pulled away and Daniel smiled at him. "Good to see you too, Teal'c. Same goes for everyone else." 

"We're trying to figure out what happened," Sam Carter explained to Teal'c. He noticed a twinkle in her eyes, which had been absent the last time Teal'c saw her. 

"I don't understand it myself," Daniel said. 

"What's the last thing you remember?" Hammond asked. 

Daniel ran a hand through his short hair. "I was investigating the ruins on P7X-561, and before I knew, this big wall appeared out of the ground and a bunch of darts flew out of it. Then I lost consciousness. When I woke up again...I don't know what happened, but those few minutes before I realized I was in the morgue had been strange." Daniel shook his head. 

"What is it that you mean?" Teal'c asked him. 

Daniel rubbed his eyes. "I'm not sure. Everyone's been saying that I was dead for two days." 

"Yea, you pretty much convinced us you were," O'Neill commented, sarcastic as always. 

Sam said, "It's possible that the unknown chemical the darts released into your bloodstream were only a very powerful sedative. It may even have been some sort-of advanced healing drug, which is possibly why your skin is completely healed now." 

"We're not sure of that, though. I need to run some more tests," Dr. Frasier said. 

Hammond nodded. "Do whatever you need, doctor." He smiled at Daniel. "Dr. Jackson, it's good to have you back." 

* * *

PART THREE 

"You can't possibly be serious," Duncan MacLeod said, staring at him in disbelief. Methos sighed and inwardly groaned. The Scot could be very thick sometimes. How could he possible not understand this? 

Methos rolled his eyes before he swiveled around on his stool until he faced the table where Duncan sat. In the seat next to Duncan was Amanda. Methos gave Duncan a look that said, 'get it through your thick skull' and said, "How could you possibly think that any Classical music writer is better than a good, _modern_ band like Queen?" 

"And how can you even suggest that anything Queen wrote can even compare to Chopin or Beethoven?" MacLeod countered. 

"Boys, boys," Amanda stepped in, looking for all the world like she would be the first Immortal ever to get a headache just from listening to them. "Can we please settle on a more pleasant topic, hmm?" 

The three Immortals were siting in a Seacouver blues bar called 'Joe's.' The mortal owner, Joe Dawson, was a good friend of all of them. He was also MacLeod's Watcher, a member of an organization that recorded the lives of Immortals to preserve history the way it really happened. Since Immortals had been there practically since the beginning and tended to live forever unless the lost their heads, the Watchers had a lot of history to record. 

Forgetting about the argument like Amanda suggested, Methos reached over the counter and took out another bear bottle. He poured some of it into a glass. He drained it at the same time the door to Joe's office opened. A second later, Joe Dawson stepped out of it, looking worn-out. 

The mortal rubbed his eyes wearily before he walked over to Duncan and Amanda's table and sat down. Methos once again swiveled to face them. 

Concerned, Amanda asked, "Joe? You don't look so good." 

Joe shrugged as if to say that it was nothing. "I just got off the phone with a Watcher stationed in Colorado Springs," he explained. "He works at the military base right outside of the town in Cheyenne Mountain. He said that one of the civilians he works with died a few days ago, but today his friends brought him back to the base and he was alive and well. The Watcher wanted to let me know about it." 

"So the civilian coworker's an Immortal," Methos said. "Does his friends know about it?" 

Joe shrugged. "Don't know. Travis doesn't know either. The Immortal's friends didn't seem to be too surprised that he was alive, however." 

"What a minute-did you say the Immortal works at a military base?" Duncan said, alarmed. "What if the government knows about Immortals?" 

The Highlander had a point, Methos observed, his worry increasing. "What's his name?" he asked. 

"The Immortal's named Dr. Daniel Jackson." 

_Daniel?!_ Methos thought, shocked. His jaw dropped. _Daniel was working for the military?_ Knowing how much of a klutz he could be sometimes, Methos knew that it was likely to assume that the officers at Cheyenne Mountain must know something. He hoped it wasn't too much. 

The others noticed his shock. "Know him?" Duncan asked. 

Methos nodded. "I met him at my last college. I don't think I ever expected him to end up working for the military." 

"Why?" Amanda asked. 

"He was majoring in Egyptology. He's one of the best linguists I've ever met who hasn't lived through the time periods when the languages where common. He had some pretty crazy ideas, though. He was convinced that the pyramids of Egypt were built by an alien race much earlier than when the Egyptians supposedly built them." 

"What would the U. S. Air Force want from someone like that?" Joe wondered. 

_Good question,_ Methos thought. Although the majority of the academic world rejected Daniel's wild theories, Methos never told the pre-Immortal just how close to the truth he really was. If the Air Force currently employed the Egyptologist inside a mountain in the middle of Colorado, something big must be going on. With plenty of room and the means to keep secrets inside the mountain at all costs, there was no way of knowing what the government knew about the Chappa'i. It was also extremely hard to know if they were hiding anything related to the Chappa'i in that mountain... 

He really didn't like where this train of thought took him. But if the Americans knew about the Goa'uld and about Immortals, he had to make sure they didn't learn too much. 

Duncan and Amanda dropped the subject when they couldn't think of an alternative that Joe could take. They, Methos, and Joe talked long into the night about other things. Finally, after half past one, Duncan and Amanda took their leave. 

Joe and Methos stood up and started cleaning up. When that was done, Methos decided that was the best time to ask for Joe's help. 

"Joe," he began. The Watcher turned toward him with an eyebrow raised, indicating he could continue. "I'm going on a road trip tomorrow. I'm not sure when I'll be back. Just thought you should know." 

Confused now, Joe asked, "Where are you going? I don't think I can remember the last time you actually told me when you were leaving." 

Methos shrugged. "I need you to keep MacLeod from trying to find me. I'm heading out East." 

Understanding dawned on the Watcher's face, and he nodded. "You're going to Colorado Springs." 

"Yes," Methos said. "I may need more of your help later on while I'm over there, so that's why I'm telling you now." 

"How do you plan to get in the base?" 

Methos smiled. "I've got an idea. Like MacLeod says, I'm an actor." 

Joe smiled at that. "I don't understand why you don't want Mac to know where you are." 

"Let's just say I have a hunch what goes on it that mountain," Methos replied, "but I'm not completely sure yet. And it has nothing to do with NORAD. Plus, I want to find out how much Daniel's friends know about Immortality, maybe even tell him what he is if he doesn't know yet." 

He grabbed his coat and headed for the door. "I'm catching the first flight out to Colorado. See you later, Joe, and thanks." 

"Good luck." 

***** 

Jack handed him the beer can. "Be sure to get three more, Danny." 

"Yes, Jack," Daniel said, trying to sound like he was grumbling. Three days had passed by since he woke up in the morgue. Dr. Frasier had announced that he was in perfect health, but she and General Hammond ordered him to take a week off anyway. The doctor, the general, and his team decided that Daniel shouldn't be left alone, so now Sam, Teal'c, and Jack were keeping him company. Jack spent the night there, claiming that Hammond ordered him to do so, and Sam and Teal'c came over during the day. Before they came over to see Daniel that morning, Teal'c and Sam had stopped at the video store, and now there were watching _Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi_ , which seemed to be one of Teal'c's favorite movies for some reason. 

Daniel went to the kitchen, grabbed some more beers and some water for Teal'c, and headed back. He handed out the drinks and plopped down onto the couch between Teal'c and Jack. On the screen, Princess Lea and Luke Skywalker raced along on hovering bikes. They zoomed past huge trees in a planet-wide rainforest while they tried to shake two stormtroopers off their tails. 

"General Hammond's finally granted my request for extra help with translating and cataloging artifacts SG teams bring back," Daniel told the others. He was glad that he would finally get some help, but it wasn't too surprising. The general and his friends were acting really careful around him ever since he 'came back from the dead.' They acted as if they expected him to get hurt again, and they wanted to be there to prevent it. While he appreciated their concern, he was dying for some breathing room and a little bit of privacy. 

"Oh, yeah? Who's agreed to do the job?" Jack asked, opening the beer can and taking a sip. 

"Adam Pierson," he answered. "He's an old friend of mine from the university." 

"Another geek, huh?" Jack commented, sounding for all the world like he was looking forward to meeting Adam already. 

"I haven't heard from him in awhile," Daniel admitted. "He called me a couple of days ago when he heard I wasn't dead. When the general offered to hire an assistant, I recommended Adam. He's agreed to the job and he said he'd come to the base next week to start working." 

Everyone tensed when he mentioned his 'death' but did their best not to show it. Daniel winced. He wished he didn't put his friends through that, but then again it wasn't his fault, was it? The drugs made him appear dead for two whole days. Maybe if they knew someone like Adam was with him at work, they'd calm down. He hoped they would. Three days had gone by and they weren't any closer to getting answers. Sam, Teal'c, and Jack went back to the planet two days ago but hadn't found any clues to explain what happened to him without activating the trap. Daniel was ready to go on with his life, as if everything was back to normal. 

***** 

General Hammond opened the door to Daniel's office of archeology and flipped on the light switch. "You will be sharing this office with Dr. Jackson until we can find a room for you," he explained. "I know that many of the things you've seen today must have been a big shock. Feel free to come see me if you have any questions. I'll be in my office. Dr. Jackson should be here shortly." 

Methos gave him his best smile. "Thank you, general. And yes, finding out we're not alone in the universe is a shock, but I think I'll manage. I think I do need some time to digest it all, however." 

"That's certainly understandable, given the circumstances," Hammond said, giving him a kind smile. "I hope you enjoy working here, Mr. Pierson." 

"I have a feeling I will, general. Thank you for showing my around." 

Methos closed the door behind the Air Force General before he slid into a chair. It was what he'd feared. The mortals had uncovered the Stargate again. He had always hoped that thing would stay buried after what happened three thousand years ago. He was glad to hear that Earth wasn't completely defenseless against the Goa'uld, and it surprised him how much they'd learned about the alien race. Back in Ancient Egypt, Methos hadn't known much about them. All he knew at the time was that they were the enemy and a danger to Earth if he allowed them to survive. Even though he had no desire to see any Goa'uld again, he had to monitor what happened here inside this mountain, because if something went wrong it would affect him and everyone on this planet. 

Getting a job here was also the best way to determine just how much General Hammond and his men knew about Immortals. Methos had managed to hack into some of the files of the personnel here, and he wasn't sure if they were trustworthy or not. He really didn't like what was in Colonel Jack O'Neill's file, and he was supposed to be one of Daniel's friends. 

Methos looked around Daniel's office. It was cluttered with notes and artifacts that Methos presumed were from trips through the Stargate. He picked up one of the notes and began to read 

Artifact #987-005 

From: PY8-987 

Notes: This appears to be some sort of powder bowl, presumably used to mash bits of tobacco for chewing, which you can see from the dark tobacco stains left in the pot. The writing on the side is some sort of Greek dialect, but this one seems to use Goa'uld letters instead of the traditional Greek letters. 

Memo: translate the inscription after SG-1 gets back from our mission on Monday. 

Methos shook his head. That sounded like Daniel, all right. And it appeared that he'd forgotten to finish the translation. Oh, well. Methos decided to do it for him just to pass the time until Daniel arrived. 

General Hammond had explained that he would be late because SG-1 would be in a briefing for a planet they would visit the next day. It was still hard for him to believe that Danny of all people had landed on a field unit that went through the Stargate on a regular basis. Methos never thought the young archeologist would ever find any evidence to support his theories, and from what Hammond said, without Daniel they wouldn't be able to operate the Stargate at all. 

Methos sighed. He wished he knew if Daniel was trustworthy or not. If he was anything like he used to be, he could give away information without even realizing it whenever he got into one of those half-distracted states. Sure, Methos wanted to tell him he was Immortal because he was such a good friend, but he had to worry about Daniel's other friends. 

He located artifact #987-005 and glanced at the writing on the side. It was indeed written in Goa'uld. Unfortunately, he hadn't learned the symbols three millennia ago, and he still didn't know them now. He looked around for a dictionary and found a translating program on Daniel's computer. He quickly ran the symbols through the program. When that was done, he translated the Greek words into English and put the translation in a footnote under Daniel's own notes about the object. 

Not long afterward, the door to the office opened. Methos turned toward it, but he wasn't trying to see who was entering the room. The Buzz resounding through his ears and mind was all the information he needed. 

Daniel Jackson stumbled into the office with his fingers to his temples. Seeing he was about to loose his balance, Methos quickly steadied the younger Immortal and waited until the Buzz in both of their brains went away. He knew how painful the Buzz could be to anyone that wasn't used to it, even though he couldn't remember feeling it himself. 

Daniel groaned and straightened. Methos let go. "Ow," Daniel mumbled, still rubbing his temples. He finally noticed that Adam was there and smiled, ignoring the headache for now. "Adam!" he said in greeting. "It's good to see you again. Uh, thanks for catching me." 

Methos smiled. "You're welcome, Daniel. It's good to see you again too, although a few days ago I wasn't sure I would." 

Daniel winced. "Yeah. Everyone keeps telling me that, too. Do you know what happened?" 

"General Hammond told me some of it in between praising the work you've done for the program and explaining what the Stargate was." 

"You mean he's already briefed you on that? What do you think about it?" 

"Exploring strange new worlds must be interesting," Methos said. "I'm not sure I like these 'Goa'uld' everyone keeps talking about." 

"Yeah, well, you wouldn't if you'd met one," Daniel replied. Inwardly, Methos agreed. 

Methos held up the translation he just completed. "Thought you might need some help." 

Daniel glanced over it and smiled. "Oh, thanks. I didn't know you knew Greek or Goa'uld." 

"Well, there was a Goa'uld program on your computer. And I learned Greek in my last job," he lied. 

"Oh yeah? What was that?" 

"I was a historian and translator for a private organization, although I've been unemployed for at least a year before you told me about the job opening over here." He regarded Daniel. "I'm glad I can work with you, Daniel. What exactly happened last week?" 

"Oh, well, um, that's a long story," Daniel said. 

He filled Methos in on the details. Afterwards, he shook his head. "Everyone's been saying that I was dead for two days. Janet thinks that there was some element in the fluid from the darts that made me appear dead then healed my injuries completely, but she's not sure. I'm glad to be alive, at any rate, although I wish everyone else would stopped treating me like a ghost." 

Methos smiled. "Yeah, that must be annoying." He took a deep breath before continuing. "And I think I may have an answer." 

Daniel went completely still. "What? What do you mean?" 

_Shit,_ he thought. He hoped he wasn't making the wrong decision, because it was too late to turn back now. 

"You remember that headache you had just now?" 

Daniel's eyes widened. Methos could tell that the boy's interest was rising, but he was pretty sure that he saw some panic in there as well. "What do you know about that?" 

"It's called the Buzz. It's what our kind uses to locate each other." 

" _Our_ kind?" 

"Yes. Our kind. We're Immortal, Daniel." 

* * *

PART FOUR 

He was Immortal. He really did die that day, and he really did come back from the dead two days later. 

Daniel had his doubts at first, of course, but being stabbed in the hand with a knife and watching it heal right before his eyes had helped a lot. 

Even on the mission the next day, though, he was still trying to take it all in. Adam had told him a lot of things the day before. Daniel wasn't sure he liked the idea of fighting people for their heads. Sure, he'd killed people before, but this was way, way different. 

_Damnit, Adam,_ he thought. _Why the hell do you always have to be right? Why can't this be some long and very detailed dream?_ He knew it wasn't. Even the dream the Harasses Child gave him hadn't been this long and this detailed. A phrase came to mind. He'd heard Jack and Sam say it on occasion. It was 'what you were signing up for.' Well, this definitely wasn't what he signed up for at any point in his life, although he wouldn't have to since he was born this way. 

He met the others at the gate. All three of them were already there. When he was in sight, Teal'c started dialing up Earth's Stargate. 

"You okay, Daniel?" Sam asked him, breaking him out of his daze. 

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Sure." Of course he was okay. He'd never be sick or hurt again. Not that they knew that. He was still trying to understand it himself. There was no way he could explain it to the rest of SG-1. Not yet, anyway. 

Jack, Sam, and Teal'c exchanged a look as the Stargate came to life and established an outgoing wormhole. They were still worried about him, and he certainly wasn't acting like his normal self. Jack hoped it had nothing to do with what happened the week before. No one knew why Daniel was completely healed, so Jack hoped that no matter what was on the archeologist's mind, it was something that Jack could fix. 

"Let's go," Jack said at last. The foursome turned and headed through the wormhole. 

***** 

On Wednesday morning the next day, Methos looked up from his breakfast when he felt the Buzz again. He tensed, even though he knew it was Daniel and the base was built on holy ground. That was something else he hadn't told Danny yet. 

A few seconds later, Daniel walked through the door to the commissary, rubbing his temples. He scanned the crowd until he spotted Methos and headed over. 

Daniel sat down next to him at the table. "Will it always hurt like that?" 

"No. It takes some getting used to, but after that, it doesn't hurt at all." 

"Great," Daniel muttered. "This is really happening, isn't it?" 

"Yes," Methos answered somberly. 

He nodded. "I have a few more questions." 

"I would expect you would, knowing how many questions you always asked no matter what the subject back in college," Methos joked, remembering. 

Daniel smiled briefly. "You said that the only way Immortals can die permanently is through beheading." Methos nodded. "We can't die any other way?" 

"We can, but it's only temporary," Methos said. "That's what happened to you last week. Your Quickening healed your injuries and brought you back to life." 

"Quickening? An Immortal's soul, right?" 

"Yes, that's right," Methos agreed, glad that Daniel could remember that much from yesterday. He'd known too many new Immortals who had gone into a panic or into denial after learning about what they were. Daniel, it seemed, wouldn't be breaking down like that anytime soon. Methos was happy for him. 

"There's a few things I didn't tell you yesterday," he told Daniel. "One thing is holy ground. No Immortal will fight on holy ground, and I mean any holy ground. That includes shrines, churches, temples, any ground that is considered sacred. The next thing is that Immortals don't age another day after their first deaths." 

"First deaths? What does that mean?" Daniel asked, curious. 

"An Immortal's first death is different from any other time they are killed. Before their first death, they are a Pre-Immortal. That's what you were before you died last week, Danny. Pre-Immortals will heal normally like a mortal, and they can get sick or age. But after their first death, their Immortality is awakened. When they wake up, they will no longer age or get sick. We can get hurt or die of almost anything, but we will always wake up from it." 

"Woah," Daniel said as he tried to take all of that in. A few minutes later, he looked up and down at Methos. "No wonder you always seemed to be so old." 

That surprised him. "Come again?" 

"You always got this faraway look whenever we talked about Ancient Egypt or some other culture," the younger Immortal explained. "Just how old are you, Adam? If that's your real name." 

Methos smiled. Sometimes Danny could be too smart for his own good. "Old enough," he simply said. "There's something else you should know. Every Immortal was a foundling, and all of us are sterile." 

Daniel's eyes widened. "But, how do we reproduce? How does our race even survive?" 

"Just by living. We're all capable of living forever, remember?" He sighed. "There have been times when I wish I could have children of my own, but we can't. I don't know why." 

He nodded. "I'm a foundling, too, aren't I?" 

Methos nodded sadly. "Yes, Danny. I know you never knew your parents very well. I wish they were your real ones, but they aren't." 

Daniel stood up. "I have to think about this. See you later, Adam." He turned and walked out of the commissary. 

Not long after he left, another person came up to his table. Methos looked up to see none other than Colonel Jack O'Neill. 

"Hi," the colonel greeted him. "You're Dr. Pierson, right? Daniel's college buddy?" 

Methos nodded. "Yes, that would be me. Adam Pierson." He extended a hand, and Jack shook it. "Who might you be?" 

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, leader of SG-1," he answered. "So, you're into archeology too, huh?" 

"That's right. I'm not as good as Daniel is," 'Adam Pierson' wasn't anyway, "but I hope I can help out here." 

Jack nodded. "Well, it's good to meet you. Did you see where Daniel went?" 

The Immortal's eyebrows rose at that. _So, you were watching us, were you Colonel? I wonder what you know?_ He knew Daniel couldn't have told him anything. He'd asked the archeologist about that already and Daniel said he wasn't sure what to tell his friends. So, that meant that either Jack did know something, or Methos was just being paranoid and Jack was simply concerned about his friend. _Just answer the question, will you?_

He pointed to the doors. "He went out that way. I think he was headed for the office. I was about to head up there myself to work on translating a few things." 

Jack nodded. "See you around." He took off for the doors. 

Methos sighed and stood up. He carried his plate to the counter before leaving the commissary. He wished he knew where O'Neill's quarters were. He could look around in them while the colonel was looking for Daniel. Even though Daniel seemed to trust him, Methos didn't. He hoped he was just being paranoid. The colonel did seem like a nice guy. 

He decided to stop by his room to change before heading for the base's gym. He'd get a work out before he headed up to the archeology room to talk to Daniel about training him. 

He was half-way to the elevators when the alarm started blaring. Glancing around, he saw personnel start to hurry toward the elevator or to their offices. A medical team left the infirmary and headed down the hall for the Gate Room. Ahead of them, he could see a line of security guards run for the Gate Room with guns at ready. Above it all was the siren and Sergeant Siler blaring over the loud speaker. 

"Unauthorized Gate Activation! Unauthorized Gate Activation! 

_What the hell?_ Methos wondered. He changed course and headed for the control room. Even though he wasn't needed, there was no way that he'd miss this. 

He reached the short flight into the room and climbed them quickly. Once inside, he looked around and spotted a handful of technical personnel and Colonel O'Neill. General Hammond was coming down the stairs from the briefing room. 

Methos stopped next to the colonel and looked through the windows at the Gate Room. He watched as the armed men he saw earlier filed into the room and took up certain positions, all with weapons pointed at the gate. The iris was closed over the Stargate's event horizon, but Methos could see the wormhole's bright light reflecting off the back wall of the Gate Room. 

"Are we getting any codes?" General Hammond asked Sergeant Siler. 

Siler shook his head. "No, sir." 

Their gazes turned back to the Stargate. Methos realized that they were waiting to hear bodies impacting with the titanium iris after they traveled through the wormhole. 

The expected sound didn't come. Instead, Methos watched, fascinated, as the iris seemed to distort. A small, round object sailed through the center of the closed iris and rolled down the ramp at the base of the Gate. 

Gas of some sort came out of the round object. It spread quickly throughout the Gate Room. One by one, the soldiers guarding the Gate dropped, unconscious, to the ground. 

"Seal off the Gate Room!" General Hammond ordered, and the technicians hurriedly began to comply. Methos watched as Hammond went over to the intercom and ordered all personnel to be ready for an attack. Then he turned back to O'Neill. "Colonel, do you know how that object could have passed through the iris?" 

A blast shield slid down from the ceiling of the Gate Room, obscuring Methos' view of the Gate Room. "Whoever sent it through must have one of those devices the Tollans used to pass through things, sir," O'Neill answered. 

Methos glanced up at one of the monitors mounted to the wall. It displayed camera images of the Gate Room. He could see the iris distorting again. "General, colonel, something else is coming through." 

They glanced at him before looking up at the monitor. The three men watched as several heavily armored guards with helmets shaped like wolves' heads stepped out of the Stargate. Methos' heart pumped loudly in his ears. He hadn't seen one in three thousand years, but there was no mistaking that these were Jaffa. 

* * *

PART FIVE 

When all twelve wolf-headed Jaffa had made it through the iris, the First Prime used the same device to send another gas sphere through the doors on either side of the strange room. They waited thirty minutes, then all of them went through the door on the left using the First Prime's walk-through-matter device. 

Outside, in the hall, were several guards lying unconscious on the floor. The shol'va, Teal'c, was among them. The First Prime assumed that these Tau'ri thought they could fight them. It was a shame that their God had ordered them not to do just that, but he would follow his instructions. 

He held up another device. This one was a scanner. It was meant to scan for the being whose energy pulse was so unlike other Tau'ri, the one who came to the ruins on Hish'tar only nine days before. 

His scanner picked up two signals. Surprised, he ordered some of the other Jaffa to go into the room that the closest one was in. They traveled up a flight of stairs into the room. When they returned, one of them was dragging a body across the floor. 

"It appears that the equipment in that room is used to control the Stargate," one of the Jaffa reported. 

"Good. Wait here. We will be back with the other one shortly," the First Prime ordered. 

He and nine of the Jaffa traveled down the corridor, walking over the unconscious Tau'ri that they passed or kicking them out of the way. 

Not long afterward, they returned to the room with the Chappa'i, dragging another body behind them. They activated the Gate, removed the metal shield covering the wormhole, and left the planet, taking the two strange Tau'ri with them. 

Several minutes after the wormhole disengaged, the base's personnel woke up. "Is everyone all right?" General Hammond asked the other people in the control room. 

Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c came in from the hallway. "They spread more of that gas before we could stop them, sir," the colonel said. 

Hammond nodded. "Let's work on damaged control. Are they still here, Sergeant?" 

Siler glanced at the monitors, quickly flipping through all the cameras at Stargate Command. "No, sir. But we know where they went." He motioned at his computer screen. Seven Gate symbols were in sight on the monitor. 

"Very good, Sergeant. Let's see how much damage they did and make sure everyone's still here, shall we?" 

***** 

Methos woke up slowly and groggily. For a minute he didn't know where he was, but as he took in his surroundings, he realized he was in a holding cell. And if those gold hieroglyphs on the wall were what he thought they were, he was in a Goa'uld holding cell. 

He felt the Buzz and looked across the cell to see Daniel leaning against the wall. "Welcome back," Daniel said. 

"So, which Goa'uld is it?" Methos asked, stretching before standing up. 

"Don't know. All I've seen so far are Wolf Guards." 

Methos sighed. He really, really hated Goa'uld's. "Why do you think they took us?" 

Daniel shrugged. "I can understand why I was taken. SG-1 has made a lot of enemies among the System Lords. Don't know why they took you." His steely gaze made his eyes. "Unless there's something you haven't told me?" 

_Great. Might as well tell him._ He walked over to the door and tried to locate a button along the wall that would open it. "The SGC wasn't the first place that I've seen a Stargate, and I've met a few Goa'uld and way too many Jaffa already." 

"You were in Giza three thousand years ago, weren't you?" Daniel asked. "When the Stargate was buried." 

"Yes." Failing to find a way out, Methos sat back down. "I really hoped that was the last time I ever saw the like." 

"Then why'd you come to work at the SGC? Was it just to talk to me?" 

"Mostly," he answered. "I also knew that there was no way you'd work at a top secret government facility unless you found evidence to support your theories. So if you guys were using the Stargate, there was no way I would stay out of it. I rather like this world, and I certainly do not want it to be overrun by Goa'uld. Not after all the work it took to bury the bloody Chappa'i in the first place." He glared at the younger Immortal. 

"Well, how were we supposed to know about the Goa'uld? Maybe if you left behind a big sign that said, 'Do not use the Stargate unless you want the Goa'uld to come back here;' we would have been a little more careful." 

Methos snorted. "Oh, I doubt that would have helped. You damn kids would've used it anyway." 

"'Kids?' Excuse me?" 

"Yes, kids! The whole lot of you! It doesn't matter if you'll live to be as old as I am, Daniel, you'll always be five thousand years younger!" 

Daniel's jaw dropped. " _Five_ thousand?" 

_Oops._ Mentally, he cursed himself. _Well, there's no point in denying it now, is there?_ "Yes, five thousand. And you might as well know I'm the oldest. And my name's not really Adam Pierson. It's Methos." 

"Methos." A look of sudden understanding was on Daniel's face. "I remember reading something about a Methos once in a group of very old legends." 

"It probably wasn't me," Methos said. "It was a pretty common name back then." 

"Uh-huh." 

They sat there for awhile without talking. Daniel was trying to absorb this latest bit of info about the friend that he thought he knew, and Methos was trying to think of ways to escape. He wasn't coming up with very good plans. 

"So how long do you think they'll keep us in here?" 

"Don't know," Methos replied. "But I hope it's not for too long. We'd probably have more opportunities to escape out there, then we can find the Stargate and get back home." 

Daniel shook his head. "We don't have a GDO." 

"A what?" 

"A remote transmitter device. SG teams use them to send a code through the wormhole first so they'll open the iris," he answered. "We'd have to gate to a world that has a GDO, like the land of the light. Teal'c's wife and son lives there, and they have one." 

"Sounds like part of a plan, assuming you know the address," Methos said. Daniel nodded. "Then, all we have to do is get out of here." 

"We just have to get out of this cell first." 

_Yep. Nothing to it,_ Methos thought to himself sarcastically. 

***** 

Jack, Sam, and Teal'c came up the stairs to the briefing room. General Hammond came out of his office to meet them. 

"There appears to be no damage to any of the equipment on the base, General Hammond," Teal'c reported. "However, both Daniel Jackson and Adam Pierson are missing." 

"Camera footage shows the Jaffa taking both of them with them, sir," Carter added. 

Alarmed, Hammond asked, "Why would they take Dr. Jackson and Dr. Pierson?" 

"Don't know, sir, but we need to get them out of there." 

"Agreed. SG-1 will embark within the hour. And colonel, bring gas masks. We don't know if they have any more of whatever it is they gave us." 

"Yes, sir!" O'Neill called over his shoulder as the three headed out the door toward SG-1's locker room. 

***** 

After being cooped up inside that bloody cell for way too long, the door opened. Methos and Daniel quickly stood up and backed away from the door. 

A Wolf Guard stood on the other side. He pointed his staff at them. "Come with me," he ordered, his voice resounding through the helmet. 

Without a choice in the matter, the two Immortals left the cell, glad to free from the confining quarters. The hall outside was also covered in gold heiroglyphs. The walls reached high above their heads, and lights stationed every few feet illumined the area nearest the floor. 

Jaffa guards fell into step on all sides of them, and they began to march down the corridor. After a few twists in the path, they came to another set of doors guarded by two more Jaffa. The doors were opened and they walked inside. 

They entered a large courtroom. Courtiers actually lined either side of the long hall. They rested on pillows and chairs, hidden by shadows behind large pillars and by sheets that partially separated them from the rest of the room. They were no doubt slaves with the highest rankings, Methos reasoned, although some of them could have been lesser Goa'uld's employed in the service of whoever was sitting on the throne. There were also quite a number of animals sitting near the courtiers. Many of them were wolves, but he could see a few birds and other animals as well. 

The Goa'uld System Lord was sitting on the throne against the back wall, mounted on a raised platform. Methos and Daniel were forced into kneeling positions at the bottom of the pedestal. 

A gold wolf helmet obscured the System Lord's face. He made it retract, making his face visible to them. He had a mane of mixed gray and white hair. His thick eyebrows matched his hair, and so did his gray eyes. Methos couldn't help but think that he certainly did look like a wolf, and it was probably supposed to be like that. 

The System Lord's eyes glowed and he bared sharp teeth. "I am Kneph Khons, the god of animal and spiritual life, son of Amun-Re, also known as Ra." His voice sent chills down Methos' spine. He'd forgotten what affect that sound could do to him. 

"Met him," Daniel said. 

Methos looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. _What the hell is he doing?_

Daniel continued unawares. "Killed him, too." 

"I am aware." Kneph rose from his chair and walked down the steps leading up to the platform. He stared at both of them, curiosity apparent in his inspection. "You are different than the other Tau'ri," he said. "Your spirit energy is stronger and easier to locate using my technology." 

_Spirits?_ Methos wondered, confused. Did he mean Quickenings? 'Cause if he did, they were in big trouble. He just hoped the Goa'uld wouldn't try to see exactly how different they were from mortals. The thought made him panic slightly. There was no way he was going to let this guy start experimenting on him. Not that he had much of a choice in the matter. 

"I had heard that there were beings like yourselves," Kneph continued, "but I never thought that the Tau'ri would have two hidden among them. I wonder..." 

He took a knife off his belt and held it up to Daniel's face. The archeologist tried to back away, but the Jaffa guard behind him quickly grabbed him by the shoulders, holding him still. Similar actions on Methos' part resulted in the same response from his own guards. 

Kneph drew the blade across Daniel's cheek, drawing blood. Daniel bit his lip against the sharp pain it produced. A few seconds later, the cut healed, leaving behind smooth skin and a little blood. 

Methos' heart skipped a beat. Shit. Now he knew. Methos wondered what the Goa'uld would do next. 

A commotion rose amongst the courtiers until Kneph held up a hand, silencing them. The Goa'uld was also surprised and intrigued. "So, the rumors are true." He looked at Methos. "I wonder what else you can heal from." 

Kneph moved away from them and motioned at the guards. "Take them to the interrogation room," he instructed them. Before Methos and Daniel could do anything, they were jerked to their feet and lead out of the room. 

* * *

PART SIX 

"We're here, sir," Carter called to Jack and Teal'c from her position at point. All three ducked behind some of the underbrush surrounding the clearing. Jack took out his magnifying glasses for a better look. 

Only a hundred yards away, a Goa'uld pyramid rose from the ground like a skyscraper. Jack counted at least twenty wolf guards stationed at various places in the clearing and in front of the entryway. 

"All right," he said at last. "Let's look for a back way in. The foliage is more dense back there, so there'll be fewer guards to take care of." 

They backtracked a little, then started circling around the building under cover of the woods. "Teal'c, do you know which Goa'uld has Wolf Guards?" 

Teal'c thought for a minute before answering. "I do believe I have heard rumors about such a Goa'uld," he said. "I believe his name is Kneph Khons. He is the son of Ra." 

"But I thought that all of the members of Ra's family had Horus Guards," Sam said. 

"The stories say that Ra and Kneph did not see eye to eye. It is possible that Kneph switched to the Wolf Guards to separate himself from the rest of his family." 

_And wasn't the wolf the loveliest animal he could have used?_ Jack thought as several things associated with wolves popped into his mind. _Savage, cruel, fangs, meat, prey..._ he needed to end that train of thought right now. It certainly wasn't helping him stop worrying about Daniel. Dr. Pierson seemed to be nice, so he didn't really want anything to happen to him, either. 

They reached the back entrance. They crouched down behind a bush and watched. Two Jaffa were stationed at this entrance. Two more Jaffa walked out of the building, passing through a force field on their way out. It was obvious that they were sent to relieve the other two. 

"Now," Jack told his companions. Immediately, they started firing. Taken by surprise, the Jaffa offered little resistance, and soon all four were lying dead on the ground. 

Jack, Sam, and Teal'c walked passed them. Ten feet inside the building, they ran into the force field. "Great," Jack muttered. "Carter, Teal'c, can one of you get rid of this thing." 

"Not from this side," Carter answered. "The control panel's on the other side, sir." 

"The guards were able to pass through the force field," Teal'c reminded them. "Perhaps the symbiote they carry within them makes this possible." 

"Think it'll work with you?" Jack asked. 

"There is one way of determining that, O'Neill." 

Jack gestured at the field. "Be my guest." 

Teal'c walked forward and through the force field successfully. Once on the other side, he quickly located the control panel and removed the force field so the other two could enter the pyramid. 

"Lead on, Teal'c," Jack ordered him. He fell back behind Carter, and then they were moving down the hallway. 

***** 

Daniel and Methos were both lying on their backs on two tables in the interrogation room. Even though no chains held him in place, Daniel could barely move. It was as if the gravity was heavier on the table than anywhere else in the pyramid. Kneph was sitting on a chair in the corner, sharpening a knife. Every once in awhile, the Goa'uld looked over at them and smiled at their obvious struggle to move. 

After a few minutes, Kneph stood up and walked over to them. His fangs and his gray eyes made his smile seem eviler than it already was. He walked over to Daniel's table. "You are the younger one," he stated. "And your friend is much, much older. I wonder if your age would affect your ability to heal?" 

He lowered the knife against Daniel's bare chest. Slowly and deliberately, he ran the tip of the blade across Daniel's skin. The Immortal tried not to scream at first by clenching his teeth, but soon, the scream forced its way through. 

Kneph watched in fascination as the wound healed in only a few minutes. Daniel let out a few deep breaths, but doing so was difficult against whatever it was that held him down. Kneph walked over to Methos' table, where he proceeded to make the same cut across the older Immortal's abdomen. Daniel watched out of the corner of his eye, slightly amazed that the man was able to school his expression against the pain. His wound only took a few seconds to heal. 

"The possibilities," Kneph said, trailing the knife across Methos' body. 

Suddenly, they heard gunfire coming from the hall, accompanied by shouts of Jaffa. They were under attack. 

The entire building jolted, and suddenly the heavy gravity on the table was gone and Daniel could move. He and Methos quickly got off of the tables. 

Taken off guard when the ground shook, it took Kneph a moment to realize that his two new lab rats were trying to escape. Angered, he raised his arm. The ribbon device wrapped around his hand glowed before sending out a wave of energy at Daniel, who was closest to the door. 

"Daniel, look out!" Methos cried, but it was too late. Daniel went sailing through the air. He collided with the wall and slid down it, leaving behind a trail of blood from a crack in his skull. 

Kneph turned his fury on Methos, who was behind him on the other side of one of the tables. When the old Immortal saw the hand device pointed toward him, he quickly ducked behind the table. The blast missed him by inches. 

He heard the door open. Methos looked up to see Colonel O'Neill storm into the room. The mortal raised a purple-colored, z-shaped weapon and fired. A burst of purple energy flew out of the weapon and surrounded Kneph. The Goa'uld cried out in pain before slumping to the ground, but it was clear that he was still alive and that he would recover soon. 

O'Neill didn't give him a chance. He fired again, and when the tendrils of purple flame surrounded the Goa'uld, his form went still, dead. He fired once more and Kneph's body vaporized, leaving no trace except for an empty space where his body used to be. 

"You okay, Pierson?" the colonel asked him. 

"Um, yeah," Methos said, tearing his eyes away from the empty spot on the ground. 

"Where's Daniel?" 

Before Methos could answer, Major Carter and Teal'c ran in. Carter spotted Daniel's limp body resting against the wall. "Oh my god," she said, and ran over to him. Teal'c and O'Neill joined her. 

Methos approached them. It appeared that none of them knew that Daniel was going to come back to life. His suspicions were wrong. 

"Wait," he told them. They looked up, confused. "He's all right. Just give him a few minutes." 

"He's not all right," O'Neill protested. "He's dead." Methos could see that the colonel was trying desperately to keep his emotions in check. He and Daniel must have been very close friends. Methos could only wonder what the colonel went through the week before, when Daniel's injuries didn't heal for two whole days. 

"Yes, he is," Methos agreed, "but he won't be for long." He could already feel Daniel's Immortal presence return. "Watch." 

Daniel's body jerked as he took in a deep, cleansing breath. Startled, Carter, Teal'c, and O'Neill took a step back. The three watched in amazement and relief as Daniel's eyes opened. The younger Immortal took in the scene around him before his eyes met Methos'. "They saw, didn't they?" 

The older Immortal nodded. "Yes, they did." 

One by one, the members of SG-1 embraced him. "You're alive!" Carter exclaimed. "But...how?" 

Daniel glanced at the open door. "We'll explain later," he promised, "but I think we'd better get out of here before more guards come to see what happened to Kneph." 

"Sounds like a plan," O'Neill said. He helped Daniel to his feet. "Come on, let's go." 

* * *

PART SEVEN 

They encountered a few Jaffa on their way out of the pyramid, but got around them easily and managed to avoid any more Wolf Guards during the five-mile walk through the woods to the Gate. Finding no guards in the Stargate's clearing, Sam proceeded to dial up home. She sent the code through, and they entered the event horizon of the Gate. 

Hammond and a medical team headed by Dr. Frasier were waiting for them on the other side of the wormhole. The general smiled when he saw that all of them were all right. "Good to have you back, SG-1," he greeted them. 

"It's good to be back, sir," Jack told him. Daniel had to agree with that. 

"Were there any problems, colonel?" 

"Very few, sir, although it's a wonder that Daniel is actually alive right now." He shot Daniel a meaningful look. 

"We'll explain during the de-briefing," Methos told them, saving Daniel from having to answer. 

"We'll have the debriefing in an hour, then," Hammond said, puzzled over their exchange. 

"In the meantime, I want you all to go to the infirmary for a full exam," Dr. Frasier said, looking pointedly at all of them. 

Daniel met Methos' eyes, and the older Immortal shrugged. "We might as well," he told Daniel quietly. "They don't know we're Immortal yet." 

Daniel nodded. He wondered what Janet would say when she found out. 

The medical exams went off without a hitch. Methos put on quite a show, too. If he didn't know better, Daniel would have thought that the guy was the young, mild-mannered man he pretended to be. Throughout the exam, he acted as if this was the first time he'd been near a big needle, and Daniel really doubted that. 

Daniel shook his head. It was hard to believe that Adam was really five thousand years old. He still had a quite lot of questions in store for his _older_ friend. He smirked. That was probably why Methos didn't tell him his age in the first place. 

When they were done, Daniel snagged Janet's shoulder. "Um, Janet? Maybe you should come to the briefing. There's something you should hear." 

Confused, Janet asked, "What is it, Daniel?" 

"That's what we'd like to know," Jack said. "Come on, doc. Let's go. We want to hear this, too, and the sooner, the better." 

Therefore, Methos, Janet, and SG-1 all went to the briefing room. An uncomfortable silence settled down around them as they waited for Hammond. Daniel, Jack, and Methos sat on one side, facing the windows that displayed Earth's Stargate, while Teal'c, Sam, and Janet sat on the other. 

A few seconds later, Hammond walked into the room and sat down in his customary chair on the end of the table. "Okay, let's get started. Colonel, I got the impression that there was something important that we needed to discuss at this briefing?" 

"Yes, sir," Jack said, "but Daniel and Methos are the ones that need to do the explaining, sir." 

"What happened?" the general asked. 

Methos and SG-1 relayed what happened on the planet, from the time Methos and Daniel woke up in the cell to the time when Daniel 'died.' 

"What?" Janet exclaimed, surprised. 

"Are you telling us that Dr. Jackson almost died?" Hammond asked, surprised. 

"I didn't almost die, sir," Daniel corrected him. He felt the back his head self-consciously. "I actually died." 

"I don't understand. Did Kneph have a sarcophagus?" 

"Not that we know of, sir," Jack said. 

"I didn't need one," Daniel went on, "because...well, because..." 

This was really difficult. He looked at Adam, er, Methos, for help. "He's Immortal, general," the older Immortal stated. "We both are." 

Methos explained what an Immortal was. He told them that neither of them could die unless they were beheaded. He told them about the Game and everything else. When he was done, Daniel explained to them what happened to him the week before, when the device on P7X-561 killed him. 

Afterward, everyone sat there, just staring at Daniel and Methos. It had taken some convincing, but now all of the mortals had accepted the truth. Janet looked at the two Immortals, fascination in her eyes. "I'd like to run some tests, see what it is that makes you Immortal." 

Methos winced. "Please, doctor. I don't want to be experimented on like a lab rat. Kneph did enough of that already." 

"But aren't you even curious?" Sam asked him. Daniel had to admit that he was curious about his own genetic makeup, but Methos did have a point. Kneph had done enough of that. 

"Maybe someday, Sam," he told his friend, giving her an apologetic smile. "But not now, please?" 

Methos met General Hammond's gaze. "So what do you plan to do with us, general?" 

Hammond's expression hardened. "You're both good members of this organization, Dr. Pierson. Nothing is going to happen to you. Not while I'm in command here." 

Methos relaxed at that. There was something about Hammond that told the Immortal that he kept his promises. "Who else are you telling about this?" 

"The president and Joint Chiefs will have to know, son, but I see no reason why anyone else should be informed." 

"Thank you, general," Daniel said gratefully. 

Hammond smiled. "You're welcome, son. Is there anything else anyone would like to add?" No one said anything. "Then you're dismissed." 

* * *

EPILOGUE 

Late that night, Methos stumbled into his room on the base and practically fell onto his bed. It had been a long day. SG-1 had gone out to dinner to talk about things and celebrate the fact that Daniel was still alive, and they had invited Methos along. Afterwards, the five of them had gone to Colonel O'Neill's house and talked long into the night. Methos was glad that he had been wrong about the colonel. As it turned out, they got along rather well. Now, though, the Immortal was looking forward to several wonderful hours of sleep. 

He started to dose off when the phone on his nightstand range. The sound was loud in the dark room, and it brought him back to full awareness. Sighing, Methos sat up on the bed and grabbed the receiver. 

There were a few people he could think of that would call him at this hour. He doubted it was SG-1, and unless General Hammond needed him for a crisis, that left his friends in Seacouver. 

"Hello, Dr. Pierson," he said into the phone. 

"Methos, where the hell have you been?" It was Duncan, speaking in his usual, irritated-at-Methos tone. "You disappeared days ago and then Joe finally tells me you're working for the Air Force now?" There was shock in the Highlander's tone, and it was no wonder. Methos wasn't the type to join the military, not even on a whim, and Duncan knew it. 

"Relax, MacLeod," he told the younger Scot. "There's nothing you need to worry about. I've been employed as an assistant archeologist to Daniel Jackson." 

"Jackson? That new Immortal Joe mentioned? Your old friend from college?" 

"That's the one," Methos answered, smiling. 

He heard Duncan sigh as he finally gave up trying to get any satisfactory answers from the older Immortal. "So, how long do you plan to stay there?" 

"Not sure," Methos said, and meant it. He liked working at Cheyenne Mountain and doubted he'd be leaving anytime soon. 

Since he was in such a good mood that night, he added, "You're welcome to use my apartment while I'm gone. I'll come visit in a few weeks. Maybe even pay off my beer tab at Joe's." 

There was a pause on the other end. "Methos, are you all right? You're not acting like yourself." 

Methos smiled. "Oh, I'm definitely all right, MacLeod. Never been better." 

THE END 

* * *

© 2002  
Please send comments to the author! 

03/04/2002 

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